This homemade Blackberry Jam recipe only needs 4 ingredients and will help you preserve the flavors of Summer to enjoy all year!
Don’t miss my other jam recipes including: Raspberry, Strawberry, and Peach.
What I love about homemade jam:
- Delicious and fresh! You will never want the store bought version again! You can also freeze it to enjoy all year.
- Easy and quick, only requiring about 30 minutes of your time!
- 4 ingredients is all you need!
Ingredients Needed:
- Blackberries – fresh or slightly under-ripe is best. You can substitute frozen berries, if desired (thaw the berries first).
- Sugar – Don’t reduce the sugar amount, or the jam won’t thicken properly. For a low sugar option, use the recipe from Sure-Jells “No Sugar Pectin” box.
- Pectin – see recipe notes for pectin-free version.
- Lemon juice – bottled or fresh lemon juice will work.
How to make Blackberry Jam:
Prep station: Clean berries and jars, and prepare water bath if you are planning to can the jam.
Mash blackberries and lemon juice in an extra-large saucepan. Mash with potato masher and simmer for a few minutes.
Remove Seeds (optional, but recommended). Use a food mill, or press mixture through a fine mesh strainer, reserving the juice you’re left with.
Measure 4 cups of berry juice and add to an extra large stock pot. Add 2-3 spoonfuls of seeds for blackberry “jam” (jelly uses the juice only). For seedless blackberry jam, don’t add any seeds back in.
Stir in sugar and cook on medium low until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil.
Add pectin, stirring constantly, and allow to return to a full boil for one minute, then remove from heat.
Pour into jars: use a funnel to pour the jam into prepared jars and seal with lids.
For Canning and Preserving: Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Allow to rest on your counter for 24 hours, to ensure the jars settle and seal properly. Check seals, and store jam in a cool, dry place for up to one year.
For Freezer Jam: Allow the jam to cool at room temperature for 24 hours, then store in the fridge for up to 1 month, or the freezer for up to 1 year.
Pectin-Free Option:
I like to add pectin to Jam because it helps to thicken it, but if you want to make a no-pectin blackberry jam, you can leave it out! Blackberries have a very high natural pectin. Cook until the jam thickens to a gel stage, 105°C/221°F on an instant read thermometer. Test it by spooning some hot jam onto a chilled cold plate. If the jam jells up (and doesn’t easily slide around) it’s ready.
Pair homemade Jam with:
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Recipe
Blackberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2.5 quarts fresh or frozen blackberries ( about 8 cups)
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
- 7 cups granulated sugar
- 1 packet Sure Jell Certo liquid fruit pectin
Instructions
- (If you are planning to can the jam, prepare waterbath and sterilize jars).
- Clean berries just before using. Add the blackberries and lemon juice to an extra-large saucepan. Mash with a potato masher and simmer for a few minutes, to break down the fruit.
- (Optional, but recommended:) Use a food mill, or press mixture through a fine mesh strainer, into a bowl, to remove seeds.
- Measure out 4 cups of berry juice and add to an extra-large heavy bottomed stock pot. Add 2-3 spoonfuls of the leftover seeds for blackberry “jam”. (Jelly uses the juice only).
- Add sugar and stir to combine. Turn burner to medium low, stirring occasionally, cooking for several minutes until sugar has dissolved.
- Increase the heat to medium high, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil (a rolling boil that can’t be stirred down).
- Add the pouch of pectin, stirring continuously, and allow to return to a full boil. Set a timer for 1 minute, stirring continuously, and remove from the heat after 1 minute.
- Pour jam into prepared jars and seal with lids.
- For Freezer Blackberry Jam: Allow the jam to cool at room temperature for 24 hours, then store in the fridge for up to 1 month, or the freezer for up to 1 year.
- To Can: Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (or longer if at high altitude*). Allow to rest on your counter for 24 hours, to ensure the jars settle and seal properly. Check seals, and store jam in a cool, dry place for up to one year.
Notes
- 1,001 to 3,000 – add 5 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 – add 10 minutes
- 6,001 to 8,000 – add 15 minutes
- 8,001 to 10,000 – add 20 minutes
Nutrition
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HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
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I followed this recipe exactly, but had 2 issues:
1. I used 12 cups (3lbs 11oz) of freshly picked very ripe blackberries and only got 4.5 cups of liquid at the most. I extracted about 1 cup of seeds so not quite sure what happened.
2. It was way too sweet for my taste. Maybe my blackberries are just sweet or were on the ripe side? Next time I’ll add sugar by taste. Will this affect the consistency?
Otherwise good recipe, the jam set up very nicely. I got 80 oz from it (7 8oz jars and 6 4oz jars).
Thanks for your help i forgot ratio of berries to juice. I don’t use seeds due to people wearing dentures. They get stuck under dentures. I understand they hurt when this happens.
I have wild blackberries that grow in my yard. I get gallons every year. I’ve been wanting to make jam with them. I used this recipe and it came out very nicely. I ate some on toast with the little that was leftover and thinned some of the same later and drizzled it on angel food cake. Delicious!
I used my Foley food mill to squash the berries and strain out most of the seeds. I used about 8 cups of berries and it squished down to about 5 cups. Still used the same amount of sugar, 7 cups.
Made with the whole blackberries else just like recipe. Taste just like grandmothers and mothers. Only washed a few extra times after picking in blackberry patch!!!!
I measured 8 cups of fresh berries and I think after straining, it decreased amount to only 3 cups liquid instead of 4, hence people commented that jam was too sweet. I even tried squeezing with a cheese cloth after straining the berries to extract maximum liquid, but obtained 3 cups liquid only. I adjusted recipe to 5 cups of sugar and it came out ok, yielding 2.5 2 cup jars of jam. I also made sure it was boiling to set point, about 5 to 7 minutes. Just some suggestions, as this is a good recipe.
I found it way too sweet, which is unfortunate as that was 2kg of berries.
Can this seedless jam process be used for making seedless raspberry jam as well?
I added 5 1/2 cups of sugar and the next batch I’ll only add 4, recipe called for 7. It is an easy recipe, I like it, we live in Hawaii and have thornless blackberries that are blooming all year long, Christmas presents!
Only made 6 cups and I actually used extra blackberries. Otherwise, pretty easy using liquid pectin.
Easy fast I love it I will use it every year
Hi – it’s unclear if the amount of berries in the recipe is measured before or after they are mashed. Could that be stated explicitly in the instructions?
I interpreted it as mashed blackberries, and my recipe didn’t set. Just trying to understand what the source of the issue is.
Otherwise thanks for sharing the recipe!
“ If the jam jells up (and doesn’t easily slide around) it’s ready. “
What if it doesn’t? Cook more? More pectin?
Easy to make, simple recipe to follow. I’m a 75 year young man and if I can do it anybody can do it. However watch if the pan boils over it’s a bear to clean up. YIKES!!!
3 generations used this recipe to make jam. We had a wonderful time in the kitchen. Recipe was very true and the measurements made the yield posted. It was easy to follow. However, ours is more like Syrup than jam.
3 generations used this recipe to make jam. We had a wonderful time in the kitchen. Recipe was very true a the measurements made the yield posted. It was easy to follow. Highly recommend for new jam makers.
This is the best recipe I’ve ever tried; we had a bumper crop of blackberries this year and this was the perfect solution. Thank you.
This recipe is easy and delicious.
Perfect and easy.
I only have surejell powdered pectin will this recipe work with powdered pectin
Awesome blackberry jam. It is easy and I feel accomplished now I have made it. (I used pectin)
The absolute BEST jam! Thank you for including tips for making this seedless – my husband doesn’t like the seeds and I haven’t been able to find a recipe that’s as easy to follow as this one.